Two’s Company, Three’s a Crowd
by Kelkale
Summary: AU Some may call it fate that they would find themselves together again after all this time of course Fuji believes in making his own luck, while Tezuka and Echizen find themselves swept up along for the ride. TezukaFujiEchizen
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis.

A/N: This is like the summary says an AU story. Maybe future fic would be the more appropriate term because I intend to keep all the events from the anime the same, just have it take place six years in the future, when Echizen would finish high school and move on to college. So in case anyone is wondering- yes all three will know each other quite well right from the beginning whether they like it or not.

And yes, I realize I have several fics that I need to work on as well- I'm using this as a warm-up to get back into writing PoT.

Prologue

Beecher Hall Room 4112

Echizen Ryoma

Fuji Syusuke

Tezuka Kunimitsu

Tezuka glanced down at his rooming assignment letter for a long moment before politely thanking the student volunteer behind the desk. The younger man misinterpreted his expression and immediately started apologizing.

"I know it's unusual to have two roommates but your room is on the corner of the dorm building which means more space," he babbled before Tezuka cut him off.

"It's fine." The volunteer looked relieved and passed over the dorm key while he continued the standard welcome speech. The boy finished up with a reminder of a floor meeting tomorrow night and Tezuka nodded in understanding. For a moment the former tennis captain paused, feeling the edges of the metal key cut into his palm before clearing his throat and catching the attention of the volunteer one more time. "Is it common for freshmen to be matched up with juniors as roommates?"

"I've never heard of it before," the volunteer responded, shaking his head until a thought struck him, "Unless the freshman was requested by his roommates, was that the case Tezuka-san?"

"Perhaps," Tezuka acknowledged as the volunteer confirmed his worse fears. Reaching down, he collected the beginning of his belongings, a duffle bag stuffed with clothes and a couple plastic bags filled with this semester's textbooks. With an inward sigh he turned towards the stairs and his new room.

* * *

He had been the first one there. The student volunteers were still wrestling open the fold-out welcome desk when he dragged Yuuta into the dorm, ladling him down with suitcases and directing him in front of the elevator so he could take yet another candid picture. While his brother grumbled about waking up too early and being treated like a packmule, Fuji enjoyed some of the last quality time together they would have for a while.

This had been one of the reasons he had not gone immediately to university after he graduated high school. Yuuta and he were still trying to form a better relationship and he felt that a weekly phone call was not going to cut it.

"So which room is yours aniki?" Yuuta asked as they stepped off the elevator on the top floor.

"4112. Of course it's not just mine. I'm going to share the room with two roommates." Syusuke explained while he guided his brother down the hallway.

"Two roommates? Are you sure that's alright aniki? Wouldn't a single room be better for your personality?" Yuuta asked nervously, as he awkwardly hefted the top suitcase on the pile in his arms up closer to his shoulders.

Fuji chuckled. "You worry too much Yuuta. I'm certain that this will work out well. Afterall, isn't it part of the college experience to learn to live with different types of people?"

Yuuta attempted to smile back but ended up grimacing instead. "Just keep in mind in case things don't work out you can always switch to a single."

"Always so pessimistic ototo. I'm sure that this is one room I won't get bored with easily."

They came to a stop at the end of the corridor with only a large wooden door with the number 4112 etched into it. Yuuta glanced curiously over at his brother as the elder Fuji tried his key for the first time in the door.

"What would make you say that brother?" Yuuta asked before his gaze flickered over the door and he caught a glimpse of his brother's name printed on a small slip of paper taped on the door. "Oh," he gasped when the other two names on the slip of paper registered in his head, "Never mind."

Fuji smiled at his little brother's shock and pushed the door wide open. "Come in Yuuta, isn't this exciting? I finally have my own place to invite my little brother to spend the night. We should have a sleepover."

"Aniki!"

* * *

Echizen Ryoma was running late. It was by far a new concept to the 18 year old tennis prodigy but usually the blame lay with him.

"So you're taking your only son to college for the first time? You hardly look old enough to have a college son Nanjiroh." the sales girl giggled and twirled a strand of her long brunette hair around her finger as she blatantly flirted with the old man.

"Maa how kind of you miss. Say you wouldn't have a break coming up soon? I could take you out for coffee and you could tell me all about your job," the idiot Ryoma refused to call father leaned closer to the girl across the counter, sliding his sunglasses down his nose so he could get a better look at her well endowed chest.

The brunette giggled again, and snuck a glance at Ryoma who was standing behind his father and glaring fiercely at both of them. "I would love to but weren't you on your way to take your son to school?"

Nanjiroh brushed aside the thought with a wave of his hand, "The boy's 18 now. He's old enough to travel on his own. I'm sure he'll survive moving in by himself. I, on the other hand, might not last if I had to leave without learning your name."

When Nanjiroh reached across to take the girl's hand and she let out another of those annoying giggles, Ryoma had just about enough.

"Let's go old man. I'm late." Ryoma spoke up.

"Your father's very busy right now son. Why don't you go on ahead?" Nanjiroh responded without looking up from his position.

"He's married," Nanjiroh's son stated bluntly, "The old man's married and all his lines come from some kind of pick-up book for women he's been reading lately." There was a pause while the store got very quiet. Echizen was relieved to hear the sales girl stop giggling. Then there was a loud slap.

"How dare you!" the brunette screeched while Nanjiroh whined and held his hand up to his cheek. Ryoma sighed in boredom and adjusted the strap on his dufflebag.

"Can we go now?"

Tbc...

So what do you think? Worth continuing? Next chapter would have Fuji and Tezuka meeting, followed by Echizen finally dragging his father onto campus.


	2. Chapter 1

Two's Company, Three's a Crowd

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis is not mine.

A/N: So another chapter out- hopefully everyone enjoys it. I want to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter- it's great to hear that people like the story.

Chapter 1

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay and wait with you a little bit longer aniki?" Yuuta asked nervously as he watched his older brother putting away the last of his clothes in the drawers he had claimed for himself.

"It's fine Yuuta. I know you have your own things to do today so I won't keep you any longer. If you could just let our parents and Yumiko know that I arrived safely and I'll call them later in the week." Syusuke requested as he closed the bottom drawer and smiled up at his brother.

"Of course I was going to do that anyways aniki." Yuuta scowled for a moment as the feeling of being belittled by his brother rose up again, only to take a deep breath and brush it away. "Look, Syusuke I don't know exactly what you're planning with Tezuka-san and Echizen but you should be careful. No one likes being manipulated."

Fuji stared thoughtfully at his brother's serious expression for a moment before the corners of his mouth twitched, "Don't be careless, huh Yuuta? I really have no idea where you came up with the impression that I'm _planning_ anything but be assured that your big brother can take care of himself."

The 20 year old university student stood up and headed over to his younger brother standing by the door. "Now before you go off to meet with your, hmm what do you call the boy that follows you around everywhere Yuuta?"

"Boyfriend, aniki. Mizuki, who you've known for years, and I are lovers. Why can't you support this?" Yuuta fumed.

"Right your _boyfriend_," Fuji stressed slowly, as if testing the word out in his mouth. "Anyways I'm sure he needs you this afternoon to go stalk some poor oblivious tennis players."

"He recruits tennis players for St. Rudolph, he doesn't stalk them. It's part of the job they hired him for, aniki. If you ever listened to me when I talk about him rather than mysteriously having other things to do you would know this." Yuuta clenched his hands tightly as once again they started in on the one topic which neither could find a compromise.

"Yuuta, I didn't mean it like that. I," Syusuke started to reach for his brother before the small metal sound of a key twisting in the lock met their ears. Both Fuji brothers as one turned to face the door as it started to swing open.

* * *

Tezuka had expected this as soon as he saw the two names printed up next to his on the room assignment letter. He knew that somehow, in some crafty way that only Fuji could manage, the three had been manipulated into rooming together. 

He was a little surprised, however to see that Fuji was not prepared for his arrival. While the tensai had arrived before him, he seemed caught off guard when the former captain pushed open the door to their new room. However it was simple enough to explain away when he caught sight of the younger Fuji. "Fuji, Yuuta-kun," Tezuka nodded politely to both boys as he stepped inside the room.

"Tezuka-san," Yuuta blurted back with an awkward nod, visibly uncomfortable to be present at this reunion.

Fuji, however, took a moment to study him before responding to his greeting. It was quite clear to Tezuka that his former teammate had recovered from whatever had happened earlier and was determined not to waste this moment. It had been several years since they had last seen each other, after graduating from high school Oishi had tried planning various get-togethers but Tezuka had always backed out with one reason or another. It had never occurred to him that he was avoiding anyone but maybe this was his consequence. A small part of him wondered if Echizen had refused the invites as well.

Fuji was taller, he must had finally hit that growth spurt that every other member of Seigaku, included Echizen had covered in high school. His features were still as delicate as ever and his hair, while no longer resting as low as his neck, still added to his angelic expression.

Tezuka could only imagine what Fuji saw when he took in his current image, but it was definitely not worth this long pause. He had not changed his appearance since graduating Seigaku High School, despite his mother's offer to buy him contacts and Atobe's persistent attempts to diversify his wardrobe.

"Tezuka," Fuji finally spoke up, "It's been awhile. Welcome."

There was a smile on his face, a genuine one which Tezuka could only tell from years of experience with the tensai. He hadn't really been sure about his reception from either former teammate and he found himself pleased at this greeting. It far exceeded his last roommate who mumbled a brief speech of owning the left half of the room before disappearing for half a semester.

He barely noticed as Yuuta made a brief farewell and slipped out the door. He instead stared at Fuji while the other boy walked over to the single bed in the room and ran a hand lightly over the mattress. "I was waiting for you to get here Tezuka," Syusuke murmured without turning to look at the other boy, "It really has been too long. Two years, and not so much a phone call to let everyone know you're alive. You and Echizen both."

'Echizen too?' Tezuka repeated in his head, not appreciating the way this was adding up, "Fuji what exactly are you saying?"

The tensai spun around, hand remaining on the mattress as he smiled pleasantly up at his former captain. A fake smile.

"I'd like this bed Tezuka, if you have no complaints about it. Of course that leaves Echizen and you to fight over the bunkbeds." If Fuji was expected an argument, it wasn't coming. Instead Tezuka nodded and headed back for his belongings which he had left in the doorway. Fuji's parting comment made him pause only for a moment, because he had promised himself before walking in the door that Fuji Syusuke was not going to get to him.

"So which are you Tezuka- a top or a bottom?"

* * *

"So kiddo you're finally a college boy huh?" Nanjiroh said thoughtfully as they turned away from the welcome desk, "I guess Rinko won then. She always wanted our child to follow in her footsteps. Of course she always pictured having a girl." 

"Idiot old man," Ryoma muttered under his breath as he crumpled up his room assignment letter without glancing at it and tossed it directly at his father's smug face.

"Hey that hurt!" Nanjiroh whined dramatically as he rubbed his forehead, "It's not my fault you turned into a boy and a tennis player. By the way darling son of mine, when exactly did you plan on actually putting your tennis skills to good use?"

"I play you all the time don't I?" Ryoma pointed out as he stepped onto the elevator.

"True but since I wipe the court with you each time that doesn't really count as anything but entertainment." Nanjiroh expected his son to rise to his bait with a loud retort but instead Ryoma just quietly seethed. This only served to confirm the fears that he and Rinko shared about their son; he was changing.

The Echizen Ryoma of six years ago would have already had a tournament win under his belt and been aiming for a grand slam by now. This year however, Ryoma approached his mother to ask about joining an university. He spent all his free time studying and seemed determined to continue his education right through to a career. Rinko was pleased because he expressed an interest separate from tennis but Nanjiroh was frustrated. It took effort not to shake his son every time he saw him until he put some sense back into him. Tennis was his life. It was so simple, why couldn't Ryoma see that any more? But instead due to his wife's urging he had to sit back and wait for Ryoma to see the light on his own.

The elevator dinged as it opened onto the top floor and both Echizens strolled out, glancing at the numbers on either side of the hallway for Ryoma's room number. Nanjiroh paused for a moment at one door which was already open, and his son glanced curiously in that direction until the two giggling girls which apparently lived there stepped out into the hallway. With a snort Ryoma continued down the hall.

Nanjiroh was beginning to think that his son really wasn't actually enrolled in this school and he had decided to play some cruel trick on his poor, incredibly handsome father by the time they reached the end of the hallway.

"4112 finally," Ryoma stated as he dropped his bags on the floor in front of the door and reached out to knock.

"What are you doing boy? You live here now so act like it." Nanjiroh shoved the boy to the side and pushed open the door, both of them ignoring the small white piece of paper taped to the door.

Tbc...

Ok so next chapter we have Ryoma meeting Tezuka and Fuji while they start to settle into their new room.


End file.
